Now that Spring is here, you might be looking for art projects that celebrate the fresh air, birds, flowers and signs of the season! I love incorporating the beauty of nature in our art lessons. In this blog post, I will share 13+ Spring art projects for elementary kids that are perfect for the end of the year! These are all ideas that hopefully give you a starting point for developing your own Spring art curriculum. It’s a long blog post, are you ready?

Spring Art Projects for Kids: Birds!

1. Nest of Baby Chicks Spring Art Project

Create a sweet nest of baby chicks! To make the chicks, we traced a roll of masking tape to form the body, then added a smaller traced circle for the head. Students cut out their own beaks and drew on the eyes to give each chick its own personality.

After watching a quick demonstration, students drew their own nests and brought them to life by layering different types of brown textured paper for a realistic, cozy look.

2. Model Magic Bird in a Nest Sculpture

To make this bird sculpture, start by creating the nest. Open a brown paper lunch bag and roll the top edge downward toward the table. Use your fingers to gently shape it into a nest form.

Next, pour a lot of glue inside the nest and fill it with a variety of materials such as tissue paper, yarn, shredded paper, and other textured items.

To form the bird, shape the body, wings and head with Model Magic. You can use colored Model Magic or paint it later! While it’s still soft, poke feathers into the back of the bird. A little bit of liquid glue will help it stay in place. I’m thinking of making a video tutorial of this, let me know if you’d like to see the process.

Spring Flower Art Projects for Elementary Art

Flowers are a beautiful sign of spring! There are so many creative art projects you can explore using flowers as inspiration. I’ve created several of these as full print-and-go resources, complete with tutorials, helpful tips, and ready-to-use templates.

1. Spring Vase of Flowers Art Lesson

With this lesson, you can discuss flower still life paintings throughout art history. Students can draw their own vases by folding the paper in half, tracing one half of the vase and cutting it out to reveal a symmetrical vase.

Use Sharpie markers and watercolor paints to draw and layer your own flowers. Practice drawing types of lines or a variety of shapes on the vase to add in more art concepts.

If you’d like a full tutorial with steps written out, templates and tips, you can check out the Spring Vase of Flowers art lesson, which includes an art history slideshow and step-by-step presentation to use with your students.

2. Spring Flower Wreath – perfect for Mother’s Day or any special occasion!

Create a beautiful wreath of flowers that would be perfect as a gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, a special grandparent or other adult. Start by making the base: poke a hole in the center of a paper plate and carefully cut out the middle to form a ring.

Next, draw and paint a variety of flowers in different sizes and colors.

Once they are dry, cut them out and layer them with additional flowers made from solid-colored construction paper.

Stack and combine the flowers to create depth, then glue them onto the wreath. Finish by adding a special message at the bottom to make your wreath extra meaningful.

Want to save time? If you’re looking for a ready-to-use version with templates and guided steps, I’ve included everything in the full flower wreath resource in my TPT shop.

3. 3D Pop-Up Flower Garden – Spring Art Project for Kids

Create a colorful 3D flower garden! Start by folding a long piece of green construction paper into an accordion fold to form the base. Then, draw flowers with Sharpie and paint them using watercolor paints.

Once dry, cut out the flowers and layer them with additional flowers made from solid-colored construction paper. Stacking and layering the pieces adds depth and visual interest to the artwork.

Next, cut out leaves and stems from construction paper and glue them into place. To finish, add a thin strip of green construction paper along the bottom (cut into fringes) to create the look of grass.

If you’d like a ready-to-use version of this lesson with step-by-step directions, templates, and helpful teaching tips, you can find the full resource in my TPT shop.

If you scroll the carousel below, you can see all of my full Spring art resources, including two Earth Day art projects!

Expressive Flower Drawings Inspired by Takashi Murakami

Your students will love creating their own smiling flower faces inspired by Takashi Murakami’s iconic flower artworks. Simply print out examples of his artwork and see what your kids come up with!

If you need a ready-to-use slideshow about Takashi Murakami, here is a Google slides presentation I made during Covid for a distance learning art project!

Georgia O’Keeffe’s Close-Up Flowers

This is a lesson I have done with 2nd graders! I provide a variety of flower reference images, and students choose one to enlarge and fill an entire square sheet of paper. As they work, I demonstrate how to use variations of a color (such as red, dark orange, light orange, and yellow) to blend and create depth in their flowers.

To enhance the lesson, here are a couple of great read-alouds you can share with your class:

Through Georgia’s Eyes – Rachel Rodríguez (Amazon affiliate links)
My Name is Georgia – Jeanette Winter

Bouquet of Flowers inspired by Picasso

Are you familiar with this lovely, simple artwork by Picasso? I love it so much! This is a very easy project to do with your youngest students. Draw simple stems and flowers using Kwik Stix paint sticks. Trace and cut out hands from construction paper and glue so they are holding the flowers.

Spring Children’s Books to Go Along with Art Projects

If you know me, you know I love a good children’s book! In fact, I’ve written a blog post with 150+ of my favorite books for kids. I’ve gathered up some of my favorite Spring children’s books to share with you! These are beautiful books that are fun to read aloud to introduce a Spring art project. I also have rotating selections of books available for kids to look at during free time.

• Planting a Rainbow is a beautiful book that can go along with a rainbow flower art project or any flower lesson! I love Lois Ehlert’s books.
• Spring Sings for The Grouchy Ladybug is another book from Eric Carle that shows his painted paper collage style. This book is best for the youngest Pre-K & K ages.

• The Hidden Rainbow is a simple counting book showing the colors of the rainbow in the garden.
• The Flower Thief – If you like the Leaf Thief or the the Pumpkin Thief, here’s a Spring version in this series.

These are my two favorite Spring books. If you want to grab any of these books, these would be my top picks.

• Spring Parade is a book with such gorgeous illustrations!

• It’s Spring is also a beautiful book all about Spring. She also books for Winter and Fall. Hopefully, Summer is coming too!

Here are a few ideas using INSECTS!

1. Ladybug Collage: Dip a fork in green paint and stamp grass across the paper. Cut a large black circle (body), a large red circle (wings) and a smaller black circle (head). Glue together, then add spots with black Sharpie and eyes with a white gel pen.
2. Ladybug Drawing: Very simple, just show the students how to draw a ladybug on the board and have them draw their own ladybugs. I did this during zoom classes during Covid.
3. Caterpillar Drawing: Teach about rainbow order. Demonstrate how to draw the caterpillar on the board and have the kids follow along, then color in rainbow colors. This was another distance learning lesson.
4. Insect Collage: Offer a variety of colored construction paper. Students will try to make a creative symmetrical insect. Show a diagram or draw a diagram of the parts of the insect (head, abdomen, thorax, antennae). Have them cut out shapes for the insect parts. You can use construction paper crayons, metallic markers, or paint dotters to decorate the insect.

Firefly art projects are fun as we get closer to summer. I use neon oil pastels for coloring these in. I have a free tutorial download with handouts for this project.

Looking for a couple of insect books for these lessons?

• How to Build an Insect is a fun book about the parts of an insect and shows a kid building an insect – a great way to tie in a STEM project.
• On Beyond Bugs! is a book from the Dr. Seuss people – their nonfiction books are great!

Looking for even more spring art ideas?

I’ve shared several variations of Symmetrical Butterfly art projects in this blog post that offer plenty of creative inspiration.

This was another open-ended, successful Earth Day project from last year. If your students enjoy working with watercolors, this is a great project to try!

The post 13 Spring Art Projects for Elementary Kids + Spring Book Read Alouds appeared first on Art is Basic | Elementary Art Projects.

Butterfly Books for Kids

I’m going to start with this one, because it is my absolute favorite of the books I found. This Pop-Up Butterflies book by Usborne is so amazing! The butterflies just pop off the page. I think the pictures speak for themselves. (Amazon Affiliate links have been used, thanks for supporting this blog.) The book is short, but gorgeous. It also gives interesting information about butterflies.

The next book is Papilio, a book about an adorable caterpillar who shows emotions while growing up into a butterfly.

The next book is My, Oh My– A Butterfly! a non-fiction book from the Dr. Seuss people. Most people think of the silly rhyming Dr. Seuss books when they think of Cat in the Hat, but I’ve come across some really great Dr. Seuss non-fiction books. There’s 50 in the series! My other favorite one is the Map book.

Here are two more great butterfly books. A Butterfly is Patient is also a book with beautiful illustrations. There are several other nature books in this series if you like this one.

The last book I wanted to share with you is by Gail Gibbons, called Monarch Butterfly. She also has a lot of non-fiction books for kids and I love her illustrations.

Butterfly Art Projects for Kids

Creating butterfly art is a perfect idea for the younger elementary classes! It is a fun Spring theme and you can introduce symmetry as well as types of lines in this art lesson.

To set the stage, I often do a caterpillar art project where we practice mixing the primary colors to make the secondary colors. We use Model Magic for the mixing. If you have never mixed colors with Model Magic before, the colors mix beautifully together. There’s a lot of different rainbow/color mixing projects you could do with this material.

This butterfly project offers several creative options. The main focus is designing a symmetrical butterfly. Students can draw their own butterflies or use templates.

Different types of media can be used for this project: watercolor paints, markers, colored pencils, metallic markers or paper strips!

Want more butterfly art ideas?

You might like these past posts:

• Butterfly Paintings
• Butterfly Origami gift for a retirement
• Clay Butterflies (I did this one again this year, but did not have them trace their hands, we used templates instead.)

The post Butterfly Art Project for Kids + 5 Beautiful Butterfly Books to Inspire Your Lesson appeared first on Art is Basic | Elementary Art Projects.

Looking for easy elementary art sub plans? Emergencies happen, and your substitute may not have an art background. The good news is that sub days can still be creative, structured, and meaningful with the right low-prep lesson ideas.

What Makes an Effective Art Sub Plan?

• Clear goals & instructions
• Simple & mess-free art supplies
• Allows students to work independently
• Visual examples

In the next sections, I will share lots of easy elementary art sub plan ideas!

How to Make a Sub Tub for Elementary Art

SUB TUB FREEBIE

This guide will help you get started with 10 easy art activities to leave for a substitute. You’ll learn what a sub tub is, what to include in it, and which art lessons work best when you’re out.

Grab the Guide

Easy K-2 Elementary Art Sub Plans

For Kindergarten–2nd grade, art sub plans should be fun, simple, and low-mess. Clear step-by-step directions and easy clean-up are key. And yes… hide the glitter!

• Scrap Box Collage: Simply set out the scrap box and encourage students to cut out shapes and make creative pictures such as an animal, an abstract design, a house, a robot or monster.
• Art Centers: Set out a variety of options including activities such as building blocks, coloring, play dough, art puzzles, lacing cards or drawing boards.
• Line Drawings: Fill the page with different types of lines (such as zig-zag, wavy, loopy, straight). Then, color in the sections. Use this FREE worksheet and handout about types of lines as inspiration.
• Stencil Drawings: Set out all of the stencils you have and encourage students to make creative drawings with the stencils. Color in the shapes.

Primary Color Hands

This Free Sub Plan is perfect for Kindergarten – 2nd grade. It’s one I use every year with Kindergarten, because it’s very easy for a sub to teach and it reinforces the primary colors.

Grab the Guide

Grade 3-5 No-Prep Art Sub Projects

For grades 3-5, students can handle a bit more complexity, but you still want structure and defined goals. Look for art activities that have a clear design challenge while allowing choice and personalization. At this grade level, it’s still a good idea to keep art supplies to a minimum (don’t break out the acrylic paints or clay!) Here are a few of my favorites!

• Free Balancing Act Sub Plan: Students practice using the art principle of balance as they stack together a bunch of objects into a “tower”. It’s fun, whimsical and creative.
• Design Your Own Flag: Create a personalized flag using symbols, colors, and images that represent who you are.
• Create an Abstract Artwork: Use geometric and organic shapes to design a bold and expressive abstract composition.

Design a Maze

Drawing a maze is a wonderful creative design project that challenges kids’ spatial skills. It also provides for lots of creativity and choice.

Get it Now!

Middle School Art Sub Plan Ideas

A strong middle school art sub plan should have a clear, specific outcome and easy-to-follow, step-by-step written directions. At this age, students need structure and defined expectations, especially when a substitute is present. I used to teach middle school at the beginning of my career and I think the following ideas would work well with 6th-8th grade.

• Zentangle Animals: Lightly sketch an animal silhouette. Fill in the animal with structured patterns. Use black and white OR add color! Use these pattern handouts to inspire pattern ideas.
• Logo Design: Invent a business and create a logo to go with it. Use colors and imagery to represent your business.
• Geometric Shaded Animals: Practice value and shading with these geometric shaded animals or creatures. Free download!
• Design a Creative Alphabet: Practice drawing fonts and play around with typography.

Doodled Name Designs

Create a design using your name. Add patterns and doodles to make it look creative and unique.

Check it out!

Design Challenges for Elementary Art Sub Lessons

Design projects stretch students’ thinking and give them a purpose beyond just free drawing. As they design, they make intentional choices about planning, personalization, message, and how color or shape supports their idea. All of these ideas can be used without the templates. Students can easily draw their own versions. If you’d like handouts to make things easier, they are linked below.

Look & Spy FREEBIE

This free download contains 2 creative art challenges. First, a Look, Find & Spy drawing activity and then an A-Z challenge activity.

Grab the Challenge

• Design a Graffiti Mural: Draw a building and then create an artistic mural on the side of it. What message do you want to show with your mural?
• Fashion Design: Students can design a t-shirt, sweater, dress or costume for a special occasion or to express their own style.

Animals in Cars!

With this design challenge, students will draw cute animals in uniquely designed cars. Inspired by Richard Scarry’s art.

Grab the Free Lesson!

• Creative Trucks: Use your imagination and create a unique design for a truck, car or plane! What will your vehicle be used for? What makes it unique and special?
• Design a Bookmark: Cut paper into rectangles and have students design positive bookmarks for the library. Bonus idea: you can photocopy these so students can swap with each other.

Design a Shoe

Students can either draw their own shoe and decorate it, or you can use shoe templates like these!

Get the Shoes!

Creativity Exercises as an Easy Printable Art Sub Project

There are so many different creativity exercises you could try with your students for a sub plan. Here are two of my favorites!

• Squiggle Stories: These are perfect for Kindergarten – 1st graders! Students draw a squiggle on a piece of paper. Then, they swap with a neighbor. They will then turn the squiggle into something else: a landscape, a creature or an object. Create a short written story about your drawing! Here are some pre-printed Squiggle Story worksheets. Here are two children’s books you can pair with this art project: The Squiggle and One Little Squiggle (Amazon Affiliate links have been used at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog.)

FREE OOPS Sheets

Similar to the Squiggle Stories, students will turn these fingerprints, coffee stains and torn paper into little masterpieces. Read the book Beautiful Oops to introduce the activity!

Get it Here!

Art Choice Boards as Elementary Art Sub Plans

Choice boards are a fantastic way to provide a little bit of structure but give your students plenty of creative freedom! Simply print out the choice board and your students can pick one prompt to use for their drawing. Bonus: These can be used multiple times, as students can choose a different prompt on a different day.

• Here is a FREE sample of an Art Choice Board with drawing prompts!

Monthly Art Choice Boards

This resource comes with 12 different choice boards – one for every month of the year. Each board features 12 different seasonal drawing prompts, perfect for choice and creativity!

Check it Out!

Coloring Pages & Word Searches for an Easy Art Sub Activity

Coloring activities are great to leave as a choice for a day you will be absent or to leave as an extra “early finisher” activity. Encourage careful craftsmanship and blending with different colors. Here are a few fun coloring options.

• FREE Growth Mindset Coloring Pages
• FREE Growth Mindset Coloring Bookmarks
• FREE Kindness Coloring Pages
• Positive Affirmation Coloring Pennants
• Famous Art History Coloring Pages

Starry Night Collaborative Poster

This is a large 40” x 28” collaborative coloring poster. Each student colors one sheet and then they are assembled together to create a giant Starry Night banner!

Grab the Poster!

Word searches are a fun way to reinforce art vocabulary, strengthen pattern and word recognition, and improve spelling skills.

• Check out these art-specific word searches, filled with rich art vocabulary words or make your own!

Art Skill Builder Activities for Sub Plans

Days with a substitute teacher can still be a great opportunity to teach and practice important art skills. Here are a few ideas that work especially well.

• Easy Grid Drawing: Using a grid helps students break an image into smaller sections, making it easier to copy and stay focused. It’s structured, quiet, and great for building confidence with drawing.
• Symmetry Practice: Similar to the grid drawings, practicing drawing images with mirror symmetry helps with balance and careful observation. Students can find a face or symmetrical picture in a magazine, cut it in half, glue it to a piece of paper and then draw the other side.

Elements and Principles of Art Worksheets

This resource has 33 print-and-go worksheets that are great for independent work.

Learn more!

Having a collection of reliable art sub plans means that you won’t have to scramble for lessons at the last minute. When you build a bank of easy and clear lesson plans, your students can stay engaged and creative even when you’re not there. Plan ahead now and you’ll feel prepared for the rest of the year.

The post Elementary Art Sub Plans: No-Prep & Emergency Substitute Lesson Ideas appeared first on Art is Basic | Elementary Art Projects.

Look, Find & Spy Creative Art Challenge

One of my favorite types of art projects is the kind that lets students make lots of choices and truly own their work. In this “Look, Find & Spy” drawing challenge, students design a busy scene filled with hidden objects, tiny details, and creative surprises. Every finished drawing looks completely different, and students love swapping papers to search for each other’s hidden items.

This is perfect to include in your sub tub or print off for a fun creative art challenge on an odd schedule week.

How the Look, Find & Spy art project works:

⭐ In this activity, students start by choosing a list of objects from a prompt sheet. Kids can add their own objects as well!

⭐ They then plan and draw one detailed scene that includes all of their chosen items hidden throughout the picture. Objects can overlap, blend into the background, or be tucked into small spaces to make the scene fun to search. The drawing can be as simple or complex as they choose.

⭐ When finished, students can trade drawings with a classmate and try to find all of the hidden objects.

⭐ Another variation is to have students brainstorm as a class a list of fun objects and then write the list on the board. Students will have ownership if they come up with a class list!

Why This Art Challenge Is Valuable

👉 Students practice composition, spacing, and balance

👉 They think about overlapping, scale, and placement

👉 Students create interactive artwork, not just drawings

A-Z Drawing Art Challenge

⭐ Another activity similar to this is the A-Z art challenge! Draw your way through the alphabet. This creative art challenge is a fun and open-ended drawing activity where students turn letters into creative ideas. Students begin by making a list of objects for each letter of the alphabet, then combine all of their chosen items into one detailed picture. The goal is to fit every letter into a single scene while making the objects interact in interesting and creative ways.

⭐ This creative art challenge is great for planning, problem-solving, and visual storytelling skills while giving students plenty of choice. Every finished drawing looks completely different, and it works well for a wide range of grade levels. When finished, students can swap papers with a classmate and try to identify which object matches each letter.

Sign up to receive both of the creative art challenges!

Enter your email in the form below and BOTH of these activities will be sent to you. You will also be signed up for the newsletter, but you can unsubscribe at any time. This download includes:

• Look, Find & Spy Creative Art Challenge
• A-Z Drawing Challenge
• Handouts
• Planning Sheets
• Teacher Instructions

⭐ This is perfect to print out and leave for a sub plan.

Grab this Activity!

Enter your email for the free printable Look, Find & Spy activity.

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Related Books:

🩷 Where’s Waldo (Amazon Affiliate link) books are perfect for visual discrimination and careful observation. Students practice careful looking and noticing details.

🩷 Where’s the Artist?: From Cave Paintings To Modern Art – this is a beautiful book, but there are some artworks that show nudity in the book

If you are still looking for a perfect Valentine’s Day art project, check out these 3 fun ideas!

The post Look, Find and Spy Creative Art Challenge for Kids appeared first on Art is Basic | Elementary Art Projects.

In this post, you’ll find meaningful and fun Valentine’s Day art projects that work well in real classrooms. A few of the ideas include optional done-for-you resources, but there is still plenty of room for student choice and creativity.

1. A Page of Hearts – A Valentine’s Day Art Project

I call this simple project A Page of Hearts. Start by dividing the paper into nine even sections. I usually draw the grid once, then photocopy it so everyone has the lines ready to go.

In each section, students create a heart using a different material. You can use whatever you already have in the classroom, like pipe cleaners, pom pons, stickers, foam shapes, paint, and markers. This is also a great way to use up odds and ends from your art supply stash.

The goal of this project is to try out different art media!

2. Romero Britto Style Hearts Art Project

Romero Britto is a popular contemporary Pop Art artist who makes artwork with bold lines, colorful patterns and iconic imagery. I have done many versions of this heart project. This picture featured above is from a collaborative canvas I did with students from many grade levels. After dividing the heart into sections, we painted in each section with different colors. When that dried, we added patterns on top!

3. A Map of My Heart – Art Project

This is one I do every year with kindergartners. I first read the book The Shape of My Heart (Amazon Affiliate link). Then, they use one of the templates to draw things inside the heart that they love, whether that be their family, friends, favorite foods, animals… anything they want! If you are interested in the templates, I have the My Heart Map printables here.

4. Neurographic Heart – Valentine’s Day Art Project

Neurographic hearts combine flowing lines, rounded intersections, and blended color inside a heart shape to create bold, eye-catching abstract art. This Valentine’s Day art project is a meaningful way to bring mindfulness, calm focus, and creativity into your art classroom.

Here are more details about neurographic art in general. This lesson can use a heart shape or if a student wants to use a different shape such as a star or emoji, that will work too! Anything goes, be creative!

If you’d like complete step-by-step directions, a handout and a slideshow about making the neurographic hearts, check out my neurographic heart resource package.

5. Yarn Wrapped Hearts – A Fiber Heart Project

This is a beautiful Valentine’s Day art project that really engages students while strengthening fine motor skills. It does require some prep ahead of time, so it works best with a small group.

To prepare, cut heart shapes out of cardboard. I did this part ahead of time for the students and used round white cardboard circles. Students then painted the hearts with Do a Dot paint dotters and set them aside to dry.

Once dry, students used scissors to snip small slots around the edges of the cardboard. Finally, they wrapped different colors of yarn around the hearts. This was such a hands-on and tactile project!

6. Styrofoam Printed Hearts

Printing with styrofoam is a great way for students to experience printmaking. I have a video about making styrofoam prints here if you are unfamiliar with the process. I have done this type of printmaking with kids as young as 1st grade (with extra guidance), but I find the sweet spot is about 5th grade.

Basically, you draw your design (it could be hearts for Valentine’s Day or it can be any theme you’d like) using a ballpoint pen on a styrofoam printing plate. Then, you use a brayer to roll printing ink on the plate. Then you put your paper on top of the plate, rub it and pull off the paper to reveal the print. I recommend watching a tutorial video before trying it, because it’s easier to understand when you see the process. White ink on color paper looks really striking!

7. Pop Art Doodled Hearts

If you’re looking for something much simpler and easy to prep, making doodled Pop Art hearts is creative and fun! Bonus: This project can be done in one class period, or you can stretch it out longer depending on size or quantity of hearts.

Simply divide your paper into four sections and then make patterns and colorful designs on each one. This is very similar to the Page of Hearts lesson I shared above, but the difference is that this one focuses on creating unique patterns using markers and the goal of the Page of Hearts lesson is to experiment with different types of media.

With this art project, you can also tie in the art of Andy Warhol. (This is one of my favorite children’s books about him.)

8. Mixed Media Heart Collage – Art Project

Last but not least is a mixed media heart collage. This is a very low-prep project and a great option when you just need something simple that still feels meaningful.

Start by drawing a large heart on the paper, although any shape will work. Students then create a collage inside the shape, filling in all of the space with different materials.

• patterned washi tape
• Kwik Stix
• magazine clippings
• cut out words
• stickers
• punched out shapes
• painted papers
• any other collage materials you have!

Valentine’s Art Project Bundle

If having materials already prepared would make this easier, three of these art projects are available in a Valentine’s Day Art Projects bundle with handouts, templates, and directions.

Valentine’s Day art does not have to be complicated to be meaningful. I hope one or two of these ideas make planning feel a little easier and give your students a chance to create something they are proud of.

If you found this list helpful, consider saving it so you can come back to it later. And if you have a favorite Valentine’s Day art project of your own, I would love to hear about it.

The post 8 Valentine’s Day Art Projects with Hearts for Kids (Elementary) appeared first on Art is Basic | Elementary Art Projects.

Whether you’d like to make them with your students, a small group of kids (like Girl Scouts) or just for yourself, this guide will walk you through what you need to get started: materials to gather, simple steps, brainstorming prompts, and examples. I’ll also share a printable Vision Board Kit you can get that makes it quick and easy to set up this activity. I’ve tried out lots of different materials for vision boards and I’ll share my favorites!

What is a Vision Board?

A vision board is a collection of words, images, pictures or drawings that show your hopes, dreams and goals. It’s a visual representation of your plans and what inspires you. Creating a vision board with kids is a perfect New Year’s art project.

Vision boards are for kids, teens and adults! There is no right or wrong way to make a vision board. They are perfect for art teachers, classrooms or just for yourself for fun!

Why Make a Vision Board with Kids?

• Helps to visualize goals
• Encourages creativity and self-reflection
• Builds confidence and motivation
• Helps students discover what they’re passionate about
• Makes for a great for a New Years art project

What Materials Should I Use on My Vision Board?

Here are some materials you can gather for your vision board:

• Construction paper, scrapbook paper, painted papers or cardstock as your background
• Magazine cut outs, printed images, photos
• Markers, crayons, colored pencils, paints
• Stickers, washi tape, or cut-out shapes
• Handwritten or typed goals and quotes
• Glue sticks and scissors

Step-by-Step: How to Make a Vision Board with Kids

First, like I said before, there is no right or wrong way to make a vision board. Here are just some general tips and suggestions! If you have an example that you have made or some examples you’ve found online, you can show those to your students.

1. Make the background for your vision board.

Start by gathering a variety of papers. You can use painted papers, solid color construction paper, magazine pages or scrapbook papers. While making my vision board, I used some papers that had been painted using watercolors. This is a great time to use up the papers in your scrap box.

In this picture below, I’m sharing my absolute favorite books I have ever bought for collages. They have beautiful, colorful and painterly papers that are awesome for backgrounds of vision boards and also in art journals. I haven’t used them with students, but I frequently tear out papers for my own art journals. (Amazon Affiliate links have been used at no extra cost to you, thanks for supporting this free blog.)

• Paper Play Volume #1 – Cut, Craft, Create by Amy Tangerine
• Paper Play Volume #2 – Cut, Craft, Create

Start with a large poster board or thick piece of paper. My boards are about 18″ x 24″, but you can use a smaller size as well. Cut or tear your background papers and glue to your poster board. Don’t overthink it, just pick the papers that appeal to you.

2. Create a title for your Vision Board that stands out.

Write or type a headline such as “My Vision Board” or “2026 Goals”. A great trick: mount the title on a contrasting color or patterned paper so it really pops.

3. Write out lists of your goals or other ideas you want to capture.

You can write lists such as:

• 3 Things I Want to Learn this Year
• My Goals for the Year
• Things I Want to Try
• Words that Describe Me
• People that Inspire Me
• Things I Love
• Places I Want to Go
• My Art Goal
• Ways I Can Be Kind

To make this project even easier to run, I put together a printable set filled with goal prompts, title headers, and quote boxes your students can use. You can grab the full Vision Board kit here!

In the photo below, you can see how I glued each printed box onto a contrasting color to help it pop on the vision board.

4. Cut out images that inspire you and glue to your board.

Spend some time looking through magazines, old calendars, photos or images online. Cut or print out any images that represent your goals, show things you like or just inspire you. Anything goes, as long as it’s positive and meaningful to you! Some items can be cut into simple squares, and others you can cut out more carefully around their outlines. The variety adds interest to your project.

Notice again how I placed some of the images on black backgrounds to help them pop. Play around with your layout and take your time arranging everything until it feels right!

5. Cut out words or phrases that speak to you.

It is really enjoyable to flip through magazines to find encouraging and inspirational words.

Look for empty spots on your vision board that could use a little extra pizazz. Try layering and overlapping your words on top of other images. In the example below, I glued my phrase on top of the moon picture.

Another option is to write or type your own words and quotes. If you’d like an easy way to have quotes and “power words” ready to use, I have some that are print-and-go. You can check out the Printable Positive Quotes set or the Printable Positive Words set—both are included in the Full Vision Board Kit.

6. Use stickers and washi tape for extra embellishments on your vision board!

Stickers are my favorite embellishment to use on vision boards or art journals. I’m always looking for fun new stickers! Washi tape is also available in so many fun styles.

In the images below, you’ll see some fun ‘Vision Board’–themed stickers. I’m sure there are plenty of great options out there, but these are just the ones I ordered.

• (on the left) Holographic Vision Board Stickers (these are super fun!)
• (on the right) Vision Board Stickers (these are simpler, but more cost effective, there were a couple that were religious)

Besides magazine images, you can also purchase Vision Board image books. I also bought a couple of Vision Board books, both by Free Period Press. I wanted to see what the difference was between them. The one on the left “The Vision Board Book“ is better for grown-ups. It has pictures of adults, words such as “New Job” and pictures related to business. The one on the right “Dream it. Do it.” is more kid-friendly and playful, but still appealing to adults.

So by now you’re probably wondering what my finished Vision Board looks like. Here you go, a finished 2026 Vision Board. In case you haven’t guessed, my motto is “More is More.”

Here is a smaller vision board I made several years ago as a spread in one of my art journals.

If you’d like an easy way to teach your students how to make Vision Boards, I’ve created a full Vision Board Kit that makes this project a breeze. In this kit, you’ll get:

• Vision Board Titles (with years through 2030)
• Printable Positive “Power Words”
• Printable Quotes (in B & W and also cute with colorful designs)
• Printable Goals and Inspiration Prompt boxes
• Vision Board Planning Sheets (an optional way to gather ideas)
• PLUS… a Vision Board Slideshow Presentation that walks your students step-by-step through the entire process. It features the same method I used to create the very first example image in this blog post.

If you are still looking for some fun winter art project ideas, I have a blog post with 15 Winter Art Projects!

Have you ever made vision boards with kids? How do you teach this project?

The post How to Make a Vision Board with Kids | 2026 Vision Board Inspiration and Printables appeared first on Art is Basic | Elementary Art Projects.

Are you looking for some fun winter art books for children? These are great to read in your classroom before doing a winter art project!

18 Winter Books for Children

General Winter Books for Children

First, here are some lovely general books about winter.

• Snow: This charming book is about a boy celebrating the snowfall in his city. (Amazon Affiliate links have been used at no extra cost to you. The small amount of money earned goes towards maintaining this free blog and buying more art supplies/books.)

• Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter: A simple book about the changing seasons.

• The Snowy Day: Another classic winter book about a boy enjoying the first snowfall.

Next are some fun books all about snow. Learn about the science of snow!

Fun Winter Books for Children about SNOW!

• Snowflake Bentley: This is a classic winter book all about Wilson Bentley who studied snowflakes under a microscope and became well-known for his photographs of snow crystals.

• Curious about Snow: This non-fiction book is all about the science of snow and also includes a section on Wilson Bentley.

• Snow is Falling: This book is great for younger kids, all about snow! What does snow do.. how it can be good and how it can be dangerous too.

• The Story of Snow: Another non-fiction book about how snow forms and what snowflakes look like when enlarged.

Fun Snowman Books for Kids!

• Snow Dude: This cool snowman is on the loose in the city. Can you catch him?

• How to Catch a Snowman: This book has a similar premise to the previous one, but kids make a snowman for a contest and now it’s running away. They set up traps to catch the snowman.

More Fun Winter Snowman Books for Kids!

• Snowmen at Night: Have you ever wondered what snowmen do at night? You’ll see inside this charming book.

• Snowmen All Year: What would it be like to have your snowman friend with you all year?

• All You Need for a Snowman: What do you need to build a snowman?

• Snow Party: What would it be like if snowmen had a party?

Winter Books with Cool Illustrations

• Frozen Noses: I love these beautiful cut-paper illustrations!

• Perfect Snow: This is another lovely book that uses illustrations made with plasticine clay.

• Snowballs: Lois Ehlert’s books are always artistic delights! In this book, she used found objects to make her snowman pictures.

I have one more general winter book that I am adding on later! I recently found this adorable winter book and it’s called It’s Winter! by Renée Kurilla. It’s probably my new favorite winter book!

Snow Globe Art Project

You might enjoy this Snow Globe art project that comes with templates and drawing guides! Perfect for the younger kids.

• Goes along nicely with the book Snow Globe Family

Pop Art Snowman Project

This is also a super fun art project for older kids! Pop Art Snowmen!

Matching Mittens Art Project

Here is another fun art project, perfect for Kindergarten. The Matching Mittens lesson has free templates!

• Goes along nicely with the book The Missing Mitten Mystery.

Hope this gives you some engaging ideas for Winter! If you need more ideas, I have a list of 15 different Winter Art Projects you might be interested in.

If you are looking for more creative books for art class, check out this big list of 150 Books for Art Class!

Did I miss any fun winter books? Leave a comment and let me know.

The post 18 Winter Books for Children – Snow, Snowmen, Fun! appeared first on Art is Basic | Elementary Art Projects.